Rouge
by FionaDearest
Summary: After her two younger sisters dying and her mother being put away in an institution, Rouge Hamilton think that her life can't get any worse. But when her father reveals a life shattering secret, Rouge runs away and tries to find out more.
1. Prolouge: Not Cyndi!

ROUGE  
  
By FionaDearest  
  
"Cyndi! Cyndi!" Louis shrieked, "Cyndi! Where are you?" I ran over to my sister, "What's wrong, Louis?" I asked, looking at her face that was illuminated by the light of my fading candle.  
  
"Cyndi's gone!" Louis cried. I gasped. No! Louis was lying! I fell to the ground and covered my face with my hands, wanting to escape reality.  
  
"Rouge! Louisiana! Come back inside!" Mama called to us, "We'll never find Cyndi." My sister and I exchanged glances and followed Mama inside.  
  
There, naked, wrapped in a soaking blanket, was my younger sister Cyndi. I will never get that picture out of my head. Ever.  
  
"Oh God!" Louis said, mortified. She ran upstairs and slammed the door to out room.  
  
"Suicide," Mama muttered underneath her breath. My eyes opened in shock. Suicide? Not Cyndi! "Murder," I countered back at her.  
  
Mama gave me a funny look. Ever since Danelle was murdered by a street gang, I always thought that it would happen to Cyndi as well.  
  
"Go to bed Rouge," Mama snapped, not wanting to hear any more talk about it. I sighed and trudged up the stairs.  
  
Why us? Why me? 


	2. Chapter One: The Trouble With the Truth

ROUGE  
  
By FionaDearest  
  
It has been three years since Cyndi's death. We have all forgotten, except Mama. She cries and cries. Louis says that she'll mourn forever, and I believe it. "Poor Mama," I muttered underneath my breath.  
  
Daddy heard me. "Poor Mama?" he asked, "What about us, honey? We haven't had a decent meal in days! Your mama won't cook anymore." He stopped when he saw the sad look I was giving him. He always told me that if I cried too much, my eyes would break. I asked Louis about it and she told me I had "glass eyes". I shuddered when I heard that.  
  
I nodded and went up to my room to get ready for school. I saw Louis putting four dollars into her backpack. "What's that for?" I asked. She looked up at me, her face full of self pity. "Breakfast and lunch money," she replied. I nodded.  
  
I packed two dollars. I didn't need to buy breakfast. "Girls!" Daddy shouted, "the bus is here!" We both ran downstairs and made it on time. I let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"Over here, Louis!" someone called. "No! Over here!" I groaned. Someone always wanted to sit next to my sister.  
  
I sat in my usual seat next to my friend, Josephine. "Hey Josie!" I said. She smilied back. "Hey Rouge."  
  
Lunch would have been usual, if the fight between Anthony Cabrina and Luke Diade hadn't occurred.  
  
Both of the boys sat at the same table, with the most popular girl in school, Leah Brians. They were both trying to ask her out to the dance. Luke asked first, and Leah said yes. When Anthony asked, she said, "Sorry Anthony, but I'm going with someone else." So, Anthony asked who and she told him.  
  
Anthony got so mad, that he literally attacked Luke. Leah yelped and hopped away from her seat. Both of them started beating each other up until Mr. Morris, the principal, broke them up.  
  
The whole cafeteria was amazed. I didn't know that Anthony could beat up someone! "Wow," some from my table murmured, "they're in big trouble." I sighed. There goes my appetite, right out those doors, I thought, looking at the cafeteria entrance  
  
That wasn't the only bad thing about my day. It just so happens that everyone in my freshman class was taking French. Well, a few people were taking Spanish, but that was only because the French class didn't have enough room for us all.  
  
"Hey Cheza!" one of the boys teased the shyest girl in the class, Cheza Hubb. She was an exchange student from Japan. Cheza looked up, "Yes?" she asked in her tiny voice.  
  
Even though she was Asian, she looked like everyone else. But discrimination towards her had gone too far when they pulled that prank on her. "Could you please pick up my pencil?" Jason Hayes asked. Cheza nodded and bent down to pick it up. Before anyone could warn her, Jason pushed her out of her chair.  
  
Since she wasn't ready, Cheza landed on her arm. It made a sickening crack. "Eww!" all of the girls shrieked, including me. But Jason wasn't done. He then stuck a sign on her back. It read: "Fear me! I will take over America!" That was the last straw. How dare he pick on her!  
  
Josie and I exchanged glances. I ran over to help Cheza while Josie ran over to Jason. Where was Mr. Emery? I helped Cheza up, ripped the sign off of her back, and led her down to the nurse's office. She was muttering something in Japanese, but I didn't have any idea what.  
  
After the nurse concluded that Cheza definitely had a broken arm, I went back upstairs. Mr. Emery was there, but Jason wasn't. I explained to him where I was, and then went back to my seat.  
  
The bus let me off at home. Louis was staying after school to help with something or other. Cheza kept thanking and thanking me. I guess it's that easy to make a new friend.  
  
When I walked inside the door, Daddy came to get me. "What's wrong?" I asked. He ignored my question and looked behind me. "Where's Louisiana?" he demanded to know. I shrugged. "Great," he muttered.  
  
"What?" I asked. Why, wasn't I just as good as my sister? "It's Mama," he said, "she's saying thing like, 'where's Cyndi?' and 'why are you just sitting there, Danelle?' I'm really worried. I think it's time we put her in an institution, honey."  
  
It was if my life had ended. "No!" I cried, "No!" I ran up to my room. First my younger sisters are taken from me, and now Mama? I couldn't handle it anymore, I let out all of the tears that I didn't shed for Danelle and Cyndi. 


	3. Chapter Two: Goth Girl vs Preppy Bitch

ROUGE  
  
By FionaDearest  
  
Mama was institutionalized after all. I couldn't get over it. "Why?" I cried, "Why?" Louis, unlike me, could care less. "It's not as if she died," my sister scoffed. But she did die. Her presence was missed all around the house. Even Louis missed her. She wouldn't admit it, but I could see it in her eyes.  
  
Daddy looks like he's aged years in only a couple of days. I haven't seen him like this ever. "Just give him a few more days," Louis said, "he'll shape up. You'll see."  
  
Sadly enough to say, Louis was right. All that Daddy needed was four more days. School was coming out fine, even though Jason still was in almost every one of my classes. He tried to trip me, but I was too smart for him.  
  
It was getting closer and closer to the dance. I couldn't wait! I knew that no one was going to ask me. I wish it was a Sadie Hawkins dance and not a regular one.  
  
Oddly enough to say, Leah's going to the dance with Anthony! She's such a whore. She bragged about it to her Junior class. I wish I was a Junior, because then I wouldn't be so undated. Damn Leah to hell.  
  
"Oh my gosh! Guess what everybody?" Leah yelled in lunch. Everyone, including Josie and I, looked over to her. "I have been asked out by all of the Seniors and all of the Juniors!" she squealed. "Who cares?" said a voice from behind us. Leah angrily turned to see who said that.  
  
All of the Seniors gasped. Oh brother, I thought. The voice came from "Goth Girl" otherwise known as Vice Rez. "What do you know about boyfriends, Goth Girl?" Leah asked and laughed.  
  
Vice shrugged, "I don't," she said in her raspy voice. Leah laughed at her comment. "I didn't think so," she said in her singsong voice. Vice glared at her. "Oo! I'm so scared!" Leah said, and pretended to be cowering in fear.  
  
But Vice wasn't one to play around. "You little bitch!" she snapped. Leah stopped what she was doing and looked at Vice. "What did you say?" Vice smirked. "You heard me. I said that you were a little bitch." Before Leah could say anything else, Vice continued. "Know what else I think of you? You're a whore and a slut. One of these days, you're going to get pregnant and no one is going to help you.  
  
"And then you'll go home, crying to your 'daddy', and he'll get that bad man sued, 'sugar'. You wanna know something else, brat? You might think you're so popular, but everyone doesn't wanna hear you 24/7. We have lives too! So everytime you think you're better than someone else, you just think about what I said."  
  
Vice stormed out of the cafeteria, leaving everyone in awe. "She's my hero," Josie whispered across our table. All of us nodded.  
  
When I got home, I asked Daddy if I could go and see Mama tomorrow. She'd still remember me, Daddy had said, so don't ask her stupid questions. I nodded and ran upstairs, excited about seeing Mama. "Do you want to come, too?" I asked Louis, hoping she would.  
  
But instead, Louis laughed. "Me? Go to a place for crazy people? Are you out of your mind?" This is your mother!!!!! I wanted to scream at her popular face. She loves you!!!! But I didn't. "Whatever. Suit yourself." I said. She rolled her eyes.  
  
After dinner, I fell asleep and into a peaceful oblivion. 


	4. Chapter Three: Going To See Mama

ROUGE  
  
By FionaDearest  
  
I couldn't wait. I was going to see Mama! I was overjoyed.  
  
When Louis found out that if she went to see Mama with me she would miss school, she said, "Well, I guess I can make time to see her." She actually said that!!  
  
Even though I wanted her to come, I didn't want her to come just so she could miss school. I called up Josie and asked her to take my homework for me. She agreed.  
  
I threw on my nicest clothes and ran out to Daddy's car. Louis followed after me slowly. "Are you coming to see Mama, too?" I asked Daddy. He shook his head. "I've got to work, honey. But don't worry," he gave us each ten dollars, "I'll come back for you."  
  
I felt so giddy when we walked into the institution. We walked up to the receptionist's desk. "Who are you here to see?" she asked us without even looking up from what she was doing. "Her name's Hamilton. Feta Hamilton."  
  
I was about to burst out laughing when I heard that. It sounded sort of like "James Bond" or something like that. Louis glared at me. "Names?" the receptionist asked. "Louisiana and Rouge Hamilton," Louis answered.  
  
"Third floor, room number 311." Louis headed off, but I stalled for a little bit. "Come on, Rouge!" my sister hissed through clenched teeth. "I wanna get this over with!"  
  
I sighed but followed her. We took the elevator. "I'm so excited!" I said. Louis looked at me strangely. I smilied at her. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.  
  
The elevator stopped somewhere between the second and third floor. Louis noticed it first. "Um, where are we?" she asked. We both gave each other the same look. We were stuck in an elevator.  
  
Louis pushed the call button, "Hello?" she asked. No one answered. "Hello? HELLO!!" Still, there was no answer. "Oh no," she moaned. "We're stuck! I'm stuck! With you!"  
  
I sighed and tried to push the door open button. "Hey!" I said, "The door opened!" "Great," Louis said sarcastically, "Now we can-"  
  
"I don't believe it!" I shouted, "Look at this, Louis!" She turned around, "Oh my god. It's a secret passageway! We're free!!" But where does it lead to? I asked myself. I reluctantly followed Louis out of the elevator.  
  
"We're free!" my sister shouted again. But I sighed and looked around. Where were we? How do we get out? I gulped and followed Louis, who had no idea where she was going.  
  
Along the walls we saw all sorts of pictures. I shuddered and grabbed Louis' hand. She squeezed my hand and we continued walking together, afraid of what we might find.  
  
"Where are we?" I asked Louis. "How the hell should I know?" she snapped back at me. Well, at least she wasn't afraid. Unlike me. I was shaking.  
  
"Hey!" someone called to us, "You shouldn't be here! This is the, um, janitor's room." Louis opened her mouth to say a rude comeback, but I stepped on her foot. "How do we get out?" I asked. "Just go back the way you came," the man said.  
  
We both shrugged and ran back to the elevator, pushed the third floor button, and the elevator started to move again. "Freaky," I said. Louis nodded.  
  
The elevator reached the third floor. We both went to room 311 and saw Mama there, looking through a window. "Hi, Mama!" I called and ran over to hug her. "Hello, Rouge." She said back to me. Louis didn't move from her spot at the door.  
  
I beckoned for her to come and hug Mama. She walked over to me and whispered, "I don't hug crazy people." I sighed.  
  
"So," Mama said, "where's Danelle and Cyndi? Don't they want to come and see me?" Louis and I exchanged glances. "Um, Mama," I said, "Danelle and Cyndi are, well, dead. Don't you remember?" But she didn't hear a word I had said. "Maybe they'll come later," she answered.  
  
That was all that Louis could take. "Don't you understand?!" she shrieked. "They're NEVER EVER coming back!!" Mama was taken by surprise and Louis stormed out of Mama's room. Mama started to cry. 


End file.
